I love sharing what I’ve learned about writing with everyone, and I’ve been enjoying sharing the process posts while I’ve been studying my own writing process in depth as I’m working on my latest novel. I also love sharing snippets from my historical research. 

This week, I wanted to share an author update since I feel like I haven’t done that here on the blog for some time. I send out monthly updates about my work in progress in my newsletter, along with life updates and ideas for creative inspiration. If you’re interested, you can sign up for my newsletter here. The newsletter is completely free and you can unsubscribe at any time.

The L.A. Dodgers Win the 2025 World Series!

Yes, I know this has nothing to do with my latest book or other news, but this is exciting for me. I’ve been a Dodger fan since 1978, and while they have been the best team in baseball for the past two years, we had a looong dry spell when being a Dodger fan was painful, though many of us stuck by our boys in blue. We’re now being rewarded for our undying loyalty.

Even if you’re not a Dodger fan, it was still an amazing, hold-your-breath kind of World Series. Hats off to the Toronto Blue Jays for playing such great baseball.

Latest on My Upcoming Book

The first question I get asked is: When is the book coming out? My answer is: I don’t yet have a release date for my upcoming book, but I’ll let you know as soon as I do. If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, you know that I’m terrible about guessing when books will be done. My best guess at this point is Spring 2026, but don’t hold me to that. I promise that when I have a date, you’ll be the first to know. 

The next question I get asked is: What is the book about? My answer is: This is one of those books that’s nearly impossible to talk about without major spoilers! What I can say right now is that it’s Dark Academia, as in it’s set on a university campus, it’s Gothic, complete with creepy mansion and thundering skies, and it’s a murder mystery. I was inspired with the idea after reading Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, though that’s all I can say about that. Again, spoilers! One teaser I can give you is that there is a huge secret underlying the story. I mean, it’s a monster of a secret. I mean, I think I’m going to have some kind of prize for readers who can guess what the secret is after they read the book, it’s that big.

I had a cover tease a few months ago, and I’m going to do another cover reveal early in 2026. 

In addition to the new novel, I’m working on some literary scholarship about my main man, Charles Dickens, though I don’t expect that to be ready for its close-up until late 2026. 

New Stories From Old Friends

For the past few weeks, I’ve been quietly adding new short stories from both the Loving Husband and the Hembry Castle worlds here on my website. I’m pleased to report that I now have three shorts—two from the Loving Husband world and one from Hembry Castle. 

Of the three shorts I have so far, I particularly like “Departures and Shadows,” about James Wentworth in his pre-Her Dear & Loving Husband days. When I first imagined James Wentworth, I thought of him less as a paranormal creature and more as a man burdened by time. Immortality for James isn’t a gift; instead, it’s a quiet tragedy. He has lived through centuries of wonder and horror, yet what haunts him most is the relentless solitude. “Departures and Shadows” explores a single experience in his long life when his desire to settle somewhere collides once again with the truth of what he is.

You can find all three short stories here on the website on the Extras pages for the Loving Husband Series and the Hembry Castle Chronicles. They are free to read and a gift to my wonderful readers. I’ve been having an amazing time bringing these short pieces to life while I explore these beloved characters from different angles. I have two more shorts I’m writing while my current #WIP rests in its second “baking stage.” The next short story from Hembry Castle will be told from Edward’s point of view, and the next short story from the Loving Husband world will be told from Sarah’s point of view. I hope you enjoy reading them. If you do, please let me know!

I’ll have another author update in January 2026. Happy reading!